Apparatus for cleaning bottoms of ships.



UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT SMITH CULPEPPER, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TOABNUS B. KERR AND IRA M. BRYCE, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING'BOTTOMS OF SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 693,242, dated.February 11, 1902.

Application filed November 7, 1901. Serial No. 81.373. (No model.) i

To @ZZ whom 'it mctyrconcern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT SMITH CUL- PEPPER, of Houston, in the countyof Harris and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Apparatus for Cleaning the Bottoms of Ships, of which the followingis a specification. A

The object of my invention is to providev a simple and practicalapparatus for removing barnacles, seaweed, mud, and other adhesions fromthe sides and bottom of a ship. The great obstruction which suchgrowthson the sides and bottom of a ship aord to the speed of a ship iswell known, involving for a maintenanice of speed in steam vessels agreatly- Vincreased coal consumption. Ordinarily the vessel is at greatexpense put into the drydock when the latter is available; but itfrequently happens that the vessel is out of reach of such dry-dock. Myinvention provides a simple portable apparatus which may be compactlystored on shipboard audwhich when brought into requisition willeffeetually and with but little trouble remove such fouling adhesionsfrom the bottom and sides of the ship in an easy and satisfactorymanner.

Figure l is a side View of my apparatus shown applied transversely to aship. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view kof the'cleaning apparatusdetached.

In the drawings, A represents the hollow body portion of my apparatus,which has on one side and communicating with it at right angles ahose-coupling a, which connects with a flexible hose H. On the inner endof the hollow body portion are mounted four spreading arms b, upon eachpair of which ata considerable distance apart is mounted a brush B.These two brushes are arranged parallel to each other on the ends of thearms and are made of bristles or steel, or they may be simple rigid;Scrapers. The object iu spacing apart the two brushes is to give a broador widelyseparated bearing of the brushes against the ships side orbottom to permit them to be reciprocated thereagainst without turningover.

From the hollow body portion there projects at right angles to the planeof the brusharms a contracted nozzle a', throughV which water introducedl under pressure from the hose H is discharged. The reactionary effeetof this stream of water issuing at high speed from the nozzle tends toforcibly thrust the brushes against the ships bottom.

K On the sides of the hollow bodyA are formed arms C, connected to ametal socket C', which `latter receives a long stiff handle C2 ofsufficient length to permit Vthe brushes to be ad- V'justed to a properbearin g against the ships sides. To the body portion of the apparatusthere is also attached on each side a rope or chain D, which extendsunderneath the ship and is manipulated by men at each side of the ship,being vpulled first one way by the men on one side and then in theopposite direction by the men on the other side.

.When the apparatus has been adjusted to the side of the ship, aforceful streamof water is sent down through the hose H from a pump onboard the ship, preferably arranged as a portableY plant Working aroundthe ship, and this stream of water issuing through the nozzle causes thebrushes to he pressed strongly against the surface of the ship andtrunnions c, upon which are hinged the forked holds the brushes sofirmly against the barnacles, dac., that the reciprocating movementgiven to the brushes through the rope or chain will effectually dislodgethe adhesions.

For such portions of the vertical sides of the ship as can be reached bythe rigid handle the apparatus vmaybe reciprocated by the performedmanuallyor mechanically. I point out this distinguishing feature for thereason that a stream of water has heretofore been pumped down .to arevolving brush, which was supposed to be rotated by the said stream ofwater with sufficient energy to clean oft the adhesion. Experiment hasdemonstrated,

however, that aiinoie'vigorous action is really necessary to disiledgebarnacles, and I there- 'fore employ an issuing stream of water for itsreactionary effects only in holding the brush `up to its work and supplythe actual power required to dislodge the adhesions from another Source.

With my invention it will be seen that af- 'ter a ship comes out of adock it is possible to always keep her clean by scrubbing, using brushesof such material as are best suited.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosec ure by Letters Patent, is

l. A cleaning device for ships sides and bottoms, having a jet-nozzleopening in opposite direction to the operating-face of the cleaningdevice to hold the latter by reactionary effeet up to its worksubstantially as described.

2. A cleaning device for ships sides and bottoms, having a jet-nozzleopening in opposite direction to the operating-face of the cleaningdevice to hold the latter up to its work, and means for moving thecleaning device over the shi ps surface substantially as described.

3. A cleaning device for ships sides and bottoms, consisting of twoseparated brushes, arms supporting the same, a hollow body portionconnected to said arms and havinga hose coupling and a discharge-nozzlepointed in opposite direction to the cleaning-face of the brushessubstantially as described.

4. Acleaning device for ships bottoms comprising two separatedbearing-surfaces, and a reactionary jet-nozzle between them pointed inopposite direction to the face of the bearing-surfaces substantially asdescribed.

ROBERT SMITH CULPEPPER.

Witnesses T. C. Rown, J. D. NORTHR'UP.

